Undercover Girl (1950 film)
| The Runaround | |
|---|---|
Theatrical release poster | |
| Directed by | Joseph Pevney |
| Screenplay by | Harry Essex |
| Story by | Francis Rosenwald |
| Produced by | Aubrey Schenck |
| Starring | Alexis Smith Scott Brady |
| Cinematography | Carl Guthrie |
| Edited by | Russell F. Schoengarth |
| Color process | Black and white |
Production company | Universal Pictures |
| Distributed by | Universal Pictures |
Release date |
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Running time | 83 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
Undercover Girl is a 1950 American crime film noir directed by Joseph Pevney and starring Alexis Smith and Scott Brady.[1]
Plot
Christine "Chris" Miller, a newly graduated New York policewoman, vows to finish the work of her murdered detective father by infiltrating the drug ring that killed him. Under an alias, she moves into a rough neighborhood, gains the trust of Moocher, a low‑level addict, and uses information from Liz Crow, a faded ex‑moll, to build herself a convincing cover.
Working her way up, Chris eventually reaches Doc Holmes, a doctor fronting for the gang, and Menig, a ruthless lieutenant, feeding intelligence back to Lieutenant Mike Trent while her suspicious targets and an intrusive boyfriend put her cover at risk. As suspicions close in, she helps set up a final sting—the ring leaders are exposed and captured, her father’s killer is unmasked, and Chris proves herself as a capable officer in a male‑dominated force.[2]
Cast
- Alexis Smith as Christine Miller
- Scott Brady as Lt. Michael Trent
- Richard Egan as Jess Faylen
- Gladys George as Liz Crow
- Edmond Ryan as Doc Holmes
- Gerald Mohr as Reed Menig
- Royal Dano as Moocher
- Harry Landers as Tully
- Connie Gilchrist as Captain Parker
- Angela Clarke as Babe
- Regis Toomey as "Butt" Miller
- Lynn Ainley as Pat Gibson
- Tris Coffin as Robbie (as Tristram Coffin)
- Lawrence Cregar as Murph
- Harold Gary as Wally
- Edwin Rand as Lew (as Ed Rand)
- Mel Archer as Collar
Reception
In a contemporary review for The New York Times, critic Thomas M. Pryor wrote: "[T]here are no surprises in 'Undercover Girl.' The film details in interesting fashion, however, how the L.A. police help Chris to win the confidence of the smugglers as a big drug buyer from Chicago. Not so interesting are the climactic moments of the melodrama when a sleazy character discovers that Chris is a cop and tips off the gang. It might be interesting, just for the sake of change, to have a police plan work out so successfully that the gang could be apprehended without discovering the identity of the undercover agent. How about it, moviemakers?"[3]
See also
References
- ^ "Undercover Girl 1950". Turner Classic Movies. Archived from the original on August 7, 2014. Retrieved January 22, 2019.
- ^ "Undercover Girl". FilmAffinity. Retrieved January 22, 2019.
- ^ Pryor, Thomas M. (November 8, 1950). "Alexis Smith Starred in Film at Rivoli". The New York Times. p. 37.
External links
- Undercover Girl at IMDb
- Undercover Girl at the AFI Catalog of Feature Films
- Undercover Girl at the TCM Movie Database (archived version)